Fence-tightening device.



C. L. LOFTUS.

FENCE TIGHTENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24,1914.

Patented May 4, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON DA C.

CLARENCE L. LOFTUS, OF STAPLETON, NEBRASKA.

FENCE-TIGHTENING DEVICE.

Application filed une 24, 1914.

T0 all to hom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE L. LorrUs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stapleton, in the county of Logan and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful mprovements in Fence-Tightening Devices; andl do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which ity appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fence tightening devices, and the main object of this invention is a device to tighten the strands of fence wire.

Another object of this device is to tighten the strands of barb wire superposed above this fence wire without releasing the tightening device for the fence wire.

,Still another object of this invention is to accomplish the tightening of the strands of fence wire and the strands of barb wire superposed above the fence wire either at one end and the same time, or either one of the two wires named at one time.

The preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in the drawings, but do not desire to be limited to the form of structure here shown, but I claim all modifications possible within the scope of the claim appended hereto.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of the device as applied to a fence post with strands of fence wire and strands of barb wire superposed above the fence wire. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. And Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

1n the drawings l is the -metallic strands going to make up the fence structure and composed of horizontal strands 2 and vertical strands 3, and superposed above the wire fence as above described are one or more strands of barb wire such as at 4. The horizontal strands 2 of the fence are caught between the members of a clamping device 5, said clamping device being composed of oppositely disposed clamping members 6 and 7 said clamping members 6 and 7 matching each other as to structure. The horizontal strands of wire 2 are clamped between said members 6 and 7 and are locked into clamping position by means of Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented May a, 1915.

Serial No. 846,951.

ymembers and which are locked intoy position by means of ordinary nuts 9, as clearly shown 1n Fig. 2 of the drawings.

rhese bolts are placed along the medial line of the clamping members 6 and 7. Upon the outer face of the clamping member 7 I bolt or otherwise suitably fasten a yoke member 10, these yoke members comprising a yoke portion 11 and two oppositely disposed arm portions 12 and 18, the arm portions 12 and 13 having apertures near the end thereof suitable for the insertion of theV bolts 14E. Playing through the portion 11 of the yoke is an eye-bolt l5, said eye-bolt being suitably threaded along the major portion of its shank. A chain is run through the eyelet, portion 16 of this bolt, and is then carried around and encircles a fence post 17. A plurality of these bolts with their chains attached are run from the fence post 17 to the clamping member, particularly near the upper, lower, and middle portions of the clamp where my fence is clamped, and said bolts are then put in tension by means of nuts 18, saidnuts being threaded home, drawing the clamping member 5 toward the fence post 17 and thereby stretching the horizontal strands 2 of the fence into taut condition. A like member to the bolts 15 such as at 19, is mounted and operates between the top portion of my fence post 17 and the clamping member 5, said bolt being of the same construction and mounting as previously described, but in this instance, running through a double yoke member such as at 20, said double yoke member comprising two neck portions 21 and 22, and in the usual end portions are bolts 23, running therethrough to attach it to theside of the clamping member. The bolt member 19 runs through the upper neck portion of the member 21 of this yoke and is drawn taut by the usual nut 241, while a similar' eye-bolt 25, is run through the lower neck portion 22 of the yoke member 20, said eye-bolt having a strand yof barb wire 1 connectedk to the eye portion thereof, and said bolt 25 is threaded to the major portion of the length of the shank, and the nut 26 is threaded thereupon so as to draw said strand 4:, which in this case happens to be the top strand, taut. A like device as at 27, draws the lower strand of barb-wire l taut and between said upper and lower strands can place any barb wire, I thread the nuts 18 and 24 home v thereby bringing the clamping member with its attached wires near the fence post 17. However, if I only desire to tighten the strands of barb-Wire, I thread home the nuts 26 leaving the clampgfor the fence portion alone. Again, if I desire to tighten the strands o' the fence wire without tighten ing the strands of the barb-wire, I thread home the nuts y18 and 2l and let out the nuts 26 in proportion. By `this arrangement l get a device that is very simple and very practical for this double purpose, a double purpose that'is lacking in practical operation in the devices now on the market.

IIaving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A wire stretching device comprising; a post, a wire clamping device positioned parallel with said post consisting of two'members clamping wires between them, yoke members placed upon the outer face of one of said clamping members, adjustable eyelet bolts mounted through said yoke members, a plurality ofdouble yoke members placed upon said outer faces of one of said double `clamping members, adjustable eyelet bolts mounted through said double yoke members in opposite directions, barb wire attached to one of said last mentioned eyelet bolts in each double yoke member, means attached to said irst mentioned eyelet bolts and to the opposite oi said last mentioned eyelet bolts and encircling said post to stretch both said wires and said barb wires in unison by drawing said clamping device toward `said post, meansmounted upon said bolts and coacting with said yoke members to stretch saidbarb-wire without stretching said first mentioned wires, and means mounted upon said bolts and coacting with said yoke members to stretch said first mentioned wires in unison without stretching said barb-wire.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the two subscribing witnesses.

CLARENCE L. LOF'IUS.v

`Witnessesz F. RnAsoNER, Jr. W. H. `McLnAY.

C'opies of this patent may be obtained yfor ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0'.

presence or' Y 

